Gaining Authority in the Age of Digital Overload

We’re entering into a new era of the Internet. Steve Rubel, EVP of Global Strategy and Insights for Edelman during his presentation at Mashable Connect 2011. This shift is changing the nature of authority.

Prior to the Validation era, the Internet experienced two other distinct eras, says Rubel. The first was the era of “Commercialization” (1994-2002), in which publishing was “costly and inaccessible to the masses.” As a result, media companies and brands ruled the digital space and the dot-com boom gave rise to a few new players, including Yahoo, Amazon and Google. Internet life has begun, as of 2010.

How do brands gain authority in the age of digital overload? Traditional media encompasses the big media companies that have “survived and thrived.” This includes radio, TV and print media outlets. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are driving increased engagement with brands and increased traffic to the other media spheres.

Here are Rubel’s five steps for success:

1.     Elevate the Experts: Brings together subject matter experts to discuss how technology is connecting people in all new ways across various industries.

2.     Curate to Connect: Rubel pointed out an unprecedented opportunity for companies and individuals to gain authority and become thought leaders by being the ones who “separate art from junk for people to understand it.” Social video king YouTube, for example, is finding new ways to curate the massive amount of videos that YouTube users upload on a daily basis.

3.     Dazzle with Data: “People on the Internet do not read,” Rubel says. “They read 20% of a webpage before they move on; 57% never come back to that page. The solution is to make data and information more visual and entertaining. The Times has produced some of the most compelling graphics on the web.

4.     Put Pubs on Hubs: Publish your company’s content, such as slideshows and white papers, on hubs like SlideShare and Scribd, so that interested parties can access it and “go deeper” when they want to. Facebook, for example, is using Scribd to publish guides and case studies for developers, journalists and Facebook Page administrators.

5.     Ask & Answer: “Be a source of knowledge,” Rubel says. Social media is a great outlet for doing just that. Answering and asking questions online is just as valid as doing the same thing in person. The Internet is not just a playland, it is an extension of our offline lives, a place where individuals and companies can become highly influential and respected.

Social media marketing

The greatest business owners are not just selling a product or a service. They are selling their passion. What is your vision of your business? What are you offering beyond a product or service?

Social media marketing allows you to compete on the same level. It does not matter if you are working from home or a small business. It is a great way to connect directly with your target market. You break down the barriers of communication using social media. This naturally turns into long-term relationships. You can talk directly to your customers, get honest feedback and ultimately sales of your products or services.

Social media marketing will help you stand out from the crowd in your industry. If you adopt a solid social media marketing presence, you will have a huge advantage over your competition. You are accessing a global community of potential customers. If your product or service can be catered to customers all over the world, then take advantage of social media marketing to get your message to every corner of the world. It gives everyone an equal voice.

So, even if you are naturally shy, you can still shine like a celebrity and have people listen to what you have to say with rapt attention. It lets your genuine passion and interest in your business come through in your communications. This has the psychological effect of pre-selling and pre-qualifying your potential customers and is going to create a higher conversion of visitors to customers.

Social Media Management needs to be part of a comprehensive marketing strategy. This helps build trust and allows people to relate to you and your products or services that you offer.Are you using the power of Social Media Marketing for your business?

5 Things To Make You A More Intelligent Person.

Welcome to everybody who has found this page. The internet is an incredibly valuable resource for furthering your own education. It’s just a matter of taking the time to find and use them.

1. Spend most of your time to nurture the most important relationships. Usually these people are your spouse, your family, and a few close friends.
2. Invest time to better learn the tools you use most. You can read the manual (who knows you could discover some useful features you are not aware of), find tips and tricks on the Internet.
3.  Always read a few important books. You should reread them until you can effectively apply their lessons. Study the lives of exceptional people. Find those who live great lives and learn how they do it. And the way to do that? This is one of the most important things. Often we limit ourselves and think too small. Perhaps you have never dreamed that it will become big someday. But reading the biographies of these people will open your mind about what is possible. It will inspire you to dream big.
4. Study to become an entrepreneur in your free time. Use free resources. Your local library contains numerous useful references regarding incorporation, writing business plans, marketing, as well as information specific to your industry. Recognize that getting your business off the ground will take time.
5. Listen to music every day and choice. It will inspire you to have good ideas.

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15 Ways to Use Facebook

   

1. Fill out your profile completely to earn trust.
2. Establish a business account if you don’t already have one.
3. Stay out of trouble by reading the Facebook rules regarding business accounts.
4. Install appropriate applications to integrate feeds from your blog and other social media accounts into your Facebook profile.
5. Keep any personal parts of your profile private through Settings.
6. Create friends lists such as “Work,” “Family” and “Limited Profile” for finer-grained control over your profile privacy.
7. Post a professional or business casual photos of yourself to reinforce your brand.
8. Limit business contacts’ access to personal photos.
9. Post your newsletter subscription information and archives somewhere in your profile.                                                                                 
10. Obtain a Facebook vanity URL so that people can find you easily.
11. Add your Facebok URL to your email signature and any marketing collateral (business cards, etc.) so prospects can learn more about you.
12. Post business updates on your wall. Focus on business activities, such as “Working with ABC Company on web site redesign.”
13. Share useful articles and links to presentation and valuable resources that interest customers and prospects on your wall, to establish credibility.
14. Combine Facebook with other social media tools like Twitter. For example, when someone asks question on Twitter, you can respond in detail in a blog post and link to it from Facebook.
15. Before traveling, check contacts locations so you can meet with those in the city where you’re heading.

                                                                       Editing from GIGAOM

To Become an entrepreneur

Business is not a talent, it's just a perception. If you have a passion, you will find your way. Only need time, patience and learning ..  The fate is in your hands, the world will be yours. I will wait for you there! Follow me to receive useful things that I will share with the community through my social networks and other interests..